Mark 6:30-44 Using a little to do a Lot

Mark 6:30-31

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Intro: Evan – Disciples sent out – FAITH – now they are coming back ! REST A WHILE – no time to eat

A) Ministry is fun – but it can also be exhausting – physically – emotionally – spiritually

B) Coached city league Basketball 7^th and 8^th grade girls – So much Fun – good team 10-2

1) Great girls / teachable / they made it easy{ Looked forward to each practice and game.

C) Coached other yrs when that wasn’t the case.

1) Long and grueling

D) Ministry can be that way – Some times it just flows comes together exciting – fun –

1) Other times it is long and grueling

E) Either way – You are being poured out

1) After being poured out – You need to be refueled!

Jesus understands that – so He says to his boys – lets get away to rest awhile.

A) Music to the disciples ears – Time alone with Jesus – Great

B) I always love it when the Lord says that to me – Rob time to go to Maui – great –

C) So Jesus says – vacation time – lets get away to rest -

1) Pastor Chuck Smith – coined a phrase –

BLESSED ARE THE FLEXIBLE FOR THEY WILL NOT BE BROKEN.

D) The Disciples are about to get a lesson in the need to be FLEXIBLE.

RD V.32-33

32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him

Here we see that Jesus gets into a boat – Cross the Sea of Galiee – giant Lake – Like Lake Michigan

A) CROWD FOLLOWS – approaching the other side – Disciples – BUG EYES – look at all the people

B) Turn this Boat around.

C) I really feel sorry for the disciples at this point –

1) I am sure they were really looking forward to time alone with Jesus – Interruption – company

D) When I was in college I was dating this girl: I was trying to get to know her better – really liked her

1) We were both leaders in the High School ministry at our Church.

Here is the thing – Almost every time I showed up to take her out –

I found out that she had invited one of her friends or a couple of the High School girls to join us

I was bummed – I was disappointed !

A) Listen – I think that doing things in a group is a good idea – You can learn a lot about someone

B) But if you really want to get to know someone – you have to spend some time alone.

1) Not a sin to ask some one to go to dinner / coffee

Necessary ! Build a friendship

C) You might spend so time with a guy or girl – be like – great – no sparks –

1) but person I am going to marry is going to have that trait{ Denise

D) So Don’t be afraid to say – Hey I would like to get to know you better – coffee / Dinner –

Sometimes we are so concerned about not being like the world in this area that we don’t give the Lord opportunity

E) Stay in Public places – Avoid – Apartments / beach at night

But that is how I picture the disciples here – When are we ever going to get time alone with Jesus

A) so the Disciples saw the crowd one way but Jesus saw them another way. RD V.34

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

When the disciples saw this crowd they were a nuisance an interruption – IN THE WAY

A) Jesus saw them differently IN NEED

– SHEEP W/OUT A SHEPHERD - COMPASSION

B) You know that is how Jesus sees people today

1) Sometimes God gets pictured as being this angry guy – Down on everyone / every thing.

C) It is true that God hates sin – gets angry at sin –

1) Injustice in the world – Child abuse – Drug dealing

D) Hates the Sin – but He loves the Sinner

E) He sees that man is thirsty – Hungering – searching – SATISFACTION / purpose / fulfillment

1) Nothing in this life is going to bring about lasting Satisfaction, purpose of fulfillment.

So He watches people wandering around from one thing to another – one pursuit / one pleasure

A) ONE PERSON – this is going to make me happy

B) I remember sitting down with a very pretty girl when I was a senior in High School

1) She was a Star athlete – ASB President – She was the Home coming queen

C) She said to me – I have all this going for me – but why do I feel so empty .

1) Answer is she didn’t have a Shepherd – Even though she was religious – Didn’t know Jesus

D) She didn’t have a relationship with Jesus

Maybe you feel that way tonight – Something missing – Wandering – one thing to the next

A) What you are missing is – Shepherd –

B) Jesus loves you and wants to bring that fulfillment into your Life - JN 17:3 Eternal life.

Notice what Jesus does with the crowd !

A) He doesn’t tell them stories / entertain / play games / play poker –

B) No He taught them! Why ? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God

C) Right now as you sit here the Spirit of God is working thru His word to speak to you –

1) To minister to your heart – Create faith / Stir up faith and to build up your faith .

D) So Jesus Began to teach the multitudes.

Now in v.35 the focus shifts from the Multitude to the Disciples

35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."

So here we see that it was getting late the disciples were being Practical .

A) The nearest In and Out Burger stand was miles a way in the near by town – Lets wrap this up .

B) Jesus asks His Disciples to DO the Impossible

37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."

C) Jesus asks his disciples to do something that they didn’t have the sufficient means to do

1) This is so important because He does the same thing with us

D) Need to realize what they would discover – I can do all things thru Christ who ….. me !

Nothing is impossible for the Lord

QUOTE: When God is going to do something wonderful He begins with a difficulty... when He's going to do something very wonderful, he begins with an impossibility!"

WATCH HOW THIS UNFOLDS

Mark 6:37-44

And they said to Him,"Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"

38 But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see."

And when they found out they said,"five, and two fish."

39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.42 So they all ate and were filled.43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Jesus asks what do you have? Five loaves and two fish – Not sufficient for such a Crowd –

A) But in the hands of Jesus – More than enough.

B) Jesus is able to take the Little bit that they had and Multiply it – Does the same with us

1) Its like that through all Biblical history

C) Dust is insignificant.... But in the hands of Creator it became man

D) The Jawbone of donkey is INSIGNIFICANT... INSUFFICIENT to fight a battle with....

1) In God's hands - Samson killed 1000 enemies

E) A sling and 5 smooth stones in the hands of a teenager with a sling is INSUFFICIENT for battle

David killed the great threat of Israel, Goliath

NOTE: A little, when surrendered to Jesus becomes powerful!

A) Gifts / talents – Jesus hands it grows –

B) You might think you Lack of gifts talents and abilities –

1) Give what you do have to me – and watch what I do with it.

C) Don't think that what you have is useless because it seems insignificant- in comparisons to others

1) Don’t forget to factor God into the equation

My life – Last thing Pastor – especially Church of over 3,000 pp.

A) God has taken me all over the world – Africa / Hungary / England / Scotland / Costa Rica / Yugo

B) What makes a person great is that person in the hands of Jesus,

1) that gift in the hands of Jesus

C) You will find that its more than enough for the task He calls you to do.

The mathematics of a miracle: 5 loaves + 2 fish = not enough / but 5 loaves +2 +Jesus Christ = MORE THAN ENOUGH

A) WITHOUT Him - nothing..WITH Him - anything)

B) What are you facing tonight that you feel that you don’t have the sufficient means for ?

1) With Jesus it is more than enough

Someone has commented that a great writer can take a worthless piece of paper, write a poem on it and instantly make it extremely valuable. A famous artist can take a piece of canvas worth fifty cents and by painting a picture on it make it priceless. A wealthy man can sign his name to a worthless piece of paper and make it worth a million dollars. In an infinitely greater way Jesus Christ can take an ordinary life worthless, and transform it into a righteous child of God, a useful worker in His kingdom.

That is what Happens when your life gets placed into the hands of the Good Shepherd

A) Some of you are here tonight- Sheep without a shepherd – Jesus wants to be your shepherd

B) Jn 10 Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the Sheep –

B) THE CROSS

C) Jesus took the Bread and Broke it –

D) Reminds me of another time took bread and broke it ! –

Tonight communion – More than enough

Partaking of You – Your life – to meet me in every place .